Key Points
- A Taste for Murder is ITV’s new six-part crime drama created by Matt Baker, directed by Jon Jones and produced by Megan Ott.
- The series follows DCI Joe Mottram and his teenage daughter Angelica on holiday with his in-laws after the sudden death of Mottram’s wife.
- The show combines a murder investigation with a sun-soaked Italian setting, with Capri and its food culture central to the story.
- The cast includes Warren Brown, Beau Gadsdon, Phyllis Logan, Urbano Barberini, Alessandro Fella, Cristiana Dell’Anna, Gaia Scodellaro, Alessandro Bedetti and Marouane Zotti.
- ITV premiere information states the drama begins on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 at 9pm on ITV1 and will also be available on ITVX.
- BritBox earlier announced the series as a six-part crime procedural and said it was shot in Croatia and Italy.
What is A Taste for Murder about?
North London (Britain Today News) 29 April 2026 – A Taste for Murder is a new ITV crime drama that places family grief, holiday tension and homicide investigation in the same story, with the action unfolding against a bright Mediterranean backdrop.
The series opens with DCI Joe Mottram, a detective chief inspector and recent widower, travelling with his teenage daughter Angelica to stay with his late wife’s parents after a personal tragedy. Rather than giving him peace, the trip pulls him into a murder case, turning a family visit into a full-scale investigation. The drama was created by Matt Baker, directed by Jon Jones and produced by Megan Ott, giving it a strong behind-the-scenes pedigree from British television. BritBox’s launch note added that the show is a six-part crime procedural set around Capri, where Italian cuisine becomes part of the mystery itself .
Who plays DCI Joe Mottram?
Warren Brown leads the cast as DCI Joe Mottram, the emotionally bruised detective at the centre of the drama. Cosmopolitan describes Joe as a detective chief inspector, father to Angelica and a recent widower, which frames him as both investigator and grieving parent . Brown is already familiar to viewers from The Responder, Luther and Trigger Point, which adds a recognisable name to ITV’s new thriller . His casting suggests the series will lean on a serious, grounded performance rather than a purely glossy mystery format.
Who is Angelica in the story?
Beau Gadsdon plays Angelica, Joe Mottram’s teenage daughter, who travels with him after the death of her mother . The character is important because she anchors the family side of the drama and keeps the story emotionally rooted while the murder plot develops. Gadsdon is known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Crown, The Critic and The Railway Children Return, showing she already has experience in major screen productions . Her role gives the drama a younger perspective inside a largely adult ensemble.
Who are the Da Vinales?
Phyllis Logan plays Elena Da Vinale, the mother of Mottram’s late wife, and the character is described as witty, fiercely loyal and loving . Elena also manages a restaurant, making her a key figure in the family and the culinary setting that shapes the series. Urbano Barberini plays Gennaro Da Vinale, her husband and the family chef, who is presented as a local legend . The pair bring warmth, authority and local texture to the drama, and their restaurant appears to be central to the show’s atmosphere and plot.
Which other cast members appear?
Cristiana Dell’Anna plays Lara Sarrancino, a Naples police detective inspector, which means the police side of the story extends beyond Mottram’s own investigation . Gaia Scodellaro appears as Daria, a kitchen worker and divorcee, adding another working-class presence inside the restaurant world . Alessandro Fella plays Luca Da Vinale, Gennaro’s nephew, while Alessandro Bedetti plays Daniele, a young man and possible romantic interest . Marouane Zotti rounds out the key names as Gianni Gallo, a deputy inspector with the Naples police, further deepening the law-enforcement thread.
Why is the setting important?
The show’s setting is one of its biggest selling points, because the story is not just a conventional British whodunnit moved abroad. BritBox said the drama was shot on location in Croatia and Italy, and placed Capri’s cliffs, tides and food culture at the centre of the series. That means the atmosphere should matter as much as the crime, with family meals, local tradition and island life feeding into the tension . The result is a style of crime drama that mixes escapism with danger, which is often exactly what attracts a broad ITV audience.
When does it air?
Cosmopolitan reported that A Taste for Murder premieres on ITV1 on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 at 9pm and will also be available on ITVX. BritBox had previously said the series would debut earlier in the year and would launch with two episodes before moving to a weekly schedule. The later ITV listing is the clearest broadcast detail for UK viewers and should be used for publication purposes. That timing places the drama squarely in prime time, where ITV often launches high-concept crime series .
